Desks and workstations in use today are predominantly conventionally designed furniture having a relatively large, flat, and fixed horizontal working surface. Research into the health implications of a one-size-fits-all approach to such furniture suggests that workers may be more alert and more productive in a working environment that can be adjusted to the user's particular needs and preferences. Much of the progress in this area has been directed to the user's chair, for example providing adjustment functions that enable a custom comfortable fit and desired support. More recently, ergonomically designed workstations have become available wherein the workstation is designed to provide a better fit to the user rather than requiring the user to accommodate to the workstation. Ergonomic improvements include, for example, angled work surfaces that are designed to comfortably support the user's arms, height-adjustable work surfaces, foot supports, and the like. Such ergonomic improvements are all generally directed to increasing the user's comfort, particularly over longer periods of time, and to preventing injuries such as repetitive motion injuries.
Moreover, in some application, for example in emergency dispatch rooms, a particular workstation may be used by different dispatchers at different times, and therefore is preferably adjustable in relevant ways to accommodate the needs and preferences of different users. Of course, the emergency nature of the calls and the inherent stress in an emergency dispatch environment, and the importance of avoiding any errors, further mandates that such workstations provide adequate ergonomic assistance to the users.
Prior art desks and workstations have been proposed that provide certain ergonomic features. For example, desks are available that have an adjustable-height work surface, which may also be angle-adjustable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,782, to Nethken et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference, an ergonomic desk is disclosed having a work surface or table section and monitor display stand that are both mounted on a movable sled assembly, such that the work surface and monitors can be moved together as a unit by the user forward and rearward using an electronically controllable sled drive. The monitor display stand can also be moved vertically to adjust the height of the monitor relative to the work surface.
It is ergonomically beneficial to provide users with a height-adjustable work surface. However, Nethken et al. discloses an apparatus wherein the forward/rearward position of the monitor display stand is fixed with respect to the forward/rearward position of the work surface, which are both supported by the sled assembly.
It is known that users generally have a preferred or optimal viewing distance or “focal distance” from a monitor that varies from user to user. The “focal distance,” as used herein refers to the distance between a user's eyes and the front face of the monitor. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,476, to Carson et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference, “Inappropriate focal lengths or distance from the eye to the computer screen can cause visual fatigue, headaches or other symptoms of eye strain.” It is also believed that the optimal focal distance for a particular user may vary, depending on a variety of factors, including the nature of the items being viewed on the monitor, the time of day and the user's level of fatigue, ambient lighting conditions, and the like. Therefore, it is ergonomically desirable to provide users with the ability to adjust the focal length.
As best understood, Carson et al. discloses a computer monitor mounting apparatus for mounting a plurality of monitors that includes a frame for supporting the monitors that is attached to a platform with at least one guide having one or more wheels or rollers for rolling the platform on the work surface. The user can therefore adjust the focal length by moving the guide-mounted platform forward or rearward across the work surface. It may be difficult or undesirable, however, to move a large monitor or array of monitors horizontally. The difficulty may be particularly evident when the monitor or array of monitors are mounted on an upright support structure that is attached to the workstation at its base, because of the dynamic bending moments that can be generated in the support structure when moving the monitors.
Additionally, for ergonomic optimization it would be advantageous for a particular user of a workstation to be able to adjust the height of the work surface, and independently adjust the height of the monitor(s) supported on the workstation.
There remains a need for a desk, workstation, or the like that supports one or a plurality of monitors wherein the user can adjust the vertical position of the monitors, and the focal length between the user and the monitor, without requiring moving the monitors horizontally.